Visa to Sri Lanka will be free for Russians for several months

Authority sri Lanka decided to extend the free visa introduced on 1 August 2019 to promote international tourism until 30 April 2020.

Until August 2019, citizens of the Russian Federation paid $35 for an electronic visa to Sri Lanka when independently registering on the Consulate’s website and $40 when receiving a document at the airport.

Due to the terrorist attacks in April last year, the inbound flow to Sri Lanka decreased by 70%. The total number of foreign tourists on the island is recovering, but even lower than 2018 volumes.

The financial losses from granting a free visa are negligible, given the net income of $4.4 billion provided by the tourism industry.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Authority reports that in 2019, 86,549 Russians arrived on the island - 34.2% more than in 2018 (64,497). The indicator of 2019 is a record for Russia in the history of Russian tourism in Sri Lanka and exceeds the figures of pre-crisis 2013 (47,265 tourists) by 84%.

Sri Lanka is the leader among the exotic island destinations of the Indian Ocean in the domestic market.

More than 60% of tourists arrive on the island through tour operators. The largest increase was noted by players with their own charter programs to the island.

The most popular resorts are Hikkaduwa, Unavatuna, Bentota. The average check of the tour for 2 adults for 9-10 nights is 130-150 thousand rubles.

According to tour operators, 2020 promises to be successful for the destination, including thanks to the extension of the free visa regime.

Source: atorus